Snail Mail is the indie rock solo project of Lindsey Erin Jordan (born June 16, 1999), an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. Originally from Ellicott City, Maryland, Jordan first performed as Snail Mail live in 2015 at the age of 15 and attracted attention with the extended play (EP) Habit in 2016. After signing with Matador Records, Snail Mail released her debut studio album, Lush (2018), to critical acclaim. In 2021, Snail Mail followed up with her second studio album, Valentine. Her third studio album, Ricochet, released in 2026.
Paste called Jordan "one of indie rock's greatest secret weapons."
Early life and education Lindsey Erin Jordan was raised in Ellicott City, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. Her mother is a lingerie store owner and her father works for a textbook publisher. Jordan had a Roman Catholic upbringing. She started playing guitar at the age of 5. She was given classical guitar lessons and was additionally trained in other styles. She recalls playing "awful restaurant shows" with her guitar instructor during her early musical education. She later played guitar for her church's band and for her school's jazz band. Jordan also played hockey during her youth.
As a teenager, Jordan became captivated by punk rock, originating from seeing Paramore live on the Riot! tour at age 8. She cited the experience as a "big moment" that inspired her to eventually form her own band. She also stated that the 2003 film Freaky Friday also played a part in making her want to be a "rocker chick". She started writing her own songs in the seventh grade and began booking her own sets at restaurants and coffee shops. In 2018, Jordan was admitted to St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn, but chose not to attend in order to focus on her career.
Career
Jordan released her self-recorded solo extended play (EP) Stick in 2015 with her new band as Snail Mail. She was joined by Ryan Vieira playing bass and Shawn Durham on the drums. In October 2015, Snail Mail performed her first live show at Baltimore's Unregistered Nurse festival alongside Sheer Mag, Screaming Females and Priests. The set attracted the attention of Priests, who subsequently recruited Jordan to their label Sister Polygon Records. After completing one short DIY tour in July 2016, Snail Mail released her first full EP Habit via Sister Polygon, produced by Priests' G.L. Jaguar and Coup Sauvage and the Snips's Jason Sauvage. The six-track EP received considerable coverage from the indie press. Pitchfork included the EP's opening track, "Thinning", in their "Best New Track" series.
Snail Mail, supported by bassist Alex Bass and drummer Ray Brown, toured North America extensively in 2017 supporting Priests, Girlpool, Waxahatchee and Beach Fossils. In September 2017, Jordan signed a recording contract with Matador Records and performed her first Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music. Snail Mail's first headlining tour began in January 2018. Snail Mail's debut studio album Lush was released on June 8, 2018, to generally positive reviews from music critics. In 2019, she toured New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the US, playing with artists such as Mac DeMarco and Thundercat. In June 2019, Snail Mail released a new version of their song "Pristine" in Simlish for the new EA game The Sims 4: Island Living. That same month Matador Records digitally reissued Habit, featuring a cover version of "The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by the band Courtney Love, headed by American musician Lois Maffeo.
Snail Mail released her second studio album, Valentine, on November 5, 2021. The album received widespread critical acclaim and appeared on multiple 2021 year-end lists. Regarding Valentine, Jordan stated: "Making this album has been the greatest challenge of my life thus far. I put my entire heart and soul into every last detail." Her original set of US and UK tour dates were also set to begin in November 2021, but Jordan called off the tour shortly before it began due to her finding massive polyps in her vocal cords that needed to be operated on to prevent permanent damage to her voice.
In November 2022, Jordan announced through Variety that she would bring a hometown festival to Baltimore in early 2023 called "Snail Mail's Valentine Fest". The five-night run of shows will take place at the city's The Ottobar venue, with a lineup of special guests that Jordan curated herself, and she told Variety that there are "some fucking insane bands on there."
Snail Mail was part of the lineup for the 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023. In September 2023, Snail Mail announced a new EP Valentine (Demos), a collection of four previously unreleased demo tracks that were recorded in the process of making the Valentine album. The announcement was accompanied by the release of Easy Thing, one of the four tracks from the EP. The full EP was released on November 3, 2023.
Jordan ventured into acting in 2024, appearing in a small role in the psychological horror drama film I Saw the TV Glow as Tara, one of the protagonists of TV show The Pink Opaque. She also contributed a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins song "Tonight, Tonight" to the movie's soundtrack.
Her third studio album, Ricochet, released on March 27, 2026.
Artistry
Musical style and songwriting Snail Mail's music has been described as indie rock, alternative rock and emo. While earlier Snail Mail releases were noted for their sparse, lo-fi guitar-driven sounds, Valentine embraced a richer sonic palette, incorporating synthesizers, strings and samples. Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times noted Jordan's unconventional sense of melody and a preference for "murky" effects pedals, both exhibiting influences of 1990s indie rock.
Her lyricism has been noted for its candid and introspective nature. According to Madison Desler of Paste Magazine: "Her music is laid-back, gently hooky, and complements the poetic vagueness of her lyrics. There isn't enough detail for you to know exactly what she's talking about, but you understand the mood." Regarding her songwriting process, Jordan stated, "I have a really hard time writing from any place other than complete honesty within myself."
Influences Jordan has cited Hayley Williams of Paramore, Liz Phair and Avril Lavigne as her idols and major musical inspirations. Her other influences include Fiona Apple, Cat Power, Elliott Smith, Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, My Bloody Valentine and Sheer Mag. Speaking of My Bloody Valentine, she said: "To me, a big part of what makes [that band] special is the sense of androgyny, this trade off between aggression and sensitivity. The fact that they kind of meet at the middle is really beautiful."
Jordan has named Mary Timony her favorite guitarist, and received guitar lessons from Timony herself. Other guitarists who had inspired her include Marnie Stern, Kurt Vile, Steve Gunn and Mark Kozelek.
Additionally, an article published by Fender stated that "it's clear that she has an appreciation of the indie rock pioneers that came before her." Jordan has cited Kim Gordon of American rock band Sonic Youth as a crucial influence. She is quoted by Rolling Stone saying: "I still am like, 'Would Kim Gordon think this was cool? I see her as a beacon of inspiration." Jordan has also listed Lana Del Rey as an influence. She described her first time hearing a 30-second sample of Del Rey's 2011 song "Video Games" on iTunes as her "initiation into alternative music," stating that she "distinctly remember[ed] having this spiritual experience" upon hearing it.
Jordan is also inspired by American jazz pianist Bill Evans. She told Entertainment Weekly: "I guess it's just the motion of it — it shows the spectrum of his work. It starts out kind of big band-y and then moves really dynamically. Then there are more heart-wrenching moments that go into more upbeat stuff. Some of those more thoughtful, slower pieces melodically really inspire me and just put me in touch with what I love about music."
As a preteen, she enjoyed pop-punk bands such as All Time Low.
Equipment
Jordan records with a vintage 1971 Gibson SG, though she refrains from touring with it out of fear of it being damaged or lost. She told Guitar.com: "It’s not worth it to me. It was expensive and setting it up was a whole song and dance, like nothing I’ve ever been through with a guitar before. I love it so much. It’s also the only vintage guitar I’ve ever had. I don’t want anything to happen to it." She also owns a Noventa Jazzmaster and a Rickenbacker 360 semi-acoustic guitar.
Personal life Jordan is a lesbian. In an interview with The New Zealand Herald, she stated that while coming out as a lesbian "really developed who I am as a person," she "hated having to answer questions about being a woman and being lesbian and being young. All of it, to me, has nothing to do with the music." From 2018 to 2020, Jordan was in a relationship with actress and singer Amandla Stenberg. Since 2022, Jordan has been in a relationship with Etta Friedman.
She resided in New York City as of September 2021, but later moved to North Carolina in 2024. https://www.thefader.com/2026/03/17/snail-mail-ricochet-album-interview Jordan has obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).
Jordan is a fan of jazz music, and has cited the 1959 album Everybody Digs Bill Evans as one of her favorites.
Band members Current members Lindsey Jordan – vocals, guitar Alex Russell – bass Ray Brown – drums Ian Eylanbekov – guitar, backing vocals (2017, 2025–present) Isadora Knutsen – keyboards, guitar, cello, backing vocals (2026–present)
Past members Blaise O'Brien – keyboards, percussion, guitar (2022–2023) Benjamin Kaunitz – guitar, backing vocals (2021–2023) Madeline McCormack - keyboards, guitar (2019–2022) Daniel Butko – guitar (2018) Kelton Young – guitar, backing vocals (2018)
Discography
Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions US USAlt Lush: Valentine: USIndie Lush: Valentine: USRock Lush: Valentine: AUS NZHeat SCO UK UKIndie Lush: Valentine: Lush Released: June 9, 2018 Label: Matador Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming — 20 11 43 — 10 — — 20 Valentine Released: November 5, 2021 Label: Matador Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming 61 7 10 6 35 — 7 35 3Ricochet Released: March 27, 2026 Label: Matador Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming — — — — — — 57 56 27
Extended plays Title Album details Sticki Released: May 8, 2015 Label: Dog Belly Format: cassette, digital download Habit Released: July 12, 2016 Label: Sister Polygon, Matador Format: Vinyl, CD, cassette, digital download, streaming Snail Mail on Audiotree Live Released: June 15, 2017 Label: Audiotree Music Format: Digital download, streaming Spotify Singles Released: June 29, 2022 Label: Matador Format: Streaming Valentine (Demos) Released: November 3, 2023 Label: Matador Format: Vinyl, digital download, streaming
Singles Title YearPeak chart positions Album USAAAPeaks on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart: "Valentine": "Dead End": USAlt Peaks on the Alternative Airplay chart: "Valentine": "Pristine" 2018 — —Lush "Heat Wave" — — "Let's Find an Out" — — "The 2nd Most Beautiful Girl in the World"2019 — —Habit "Valentine"202123 32Valentine "Ben Franklin" — —"Madonna" — —"Adore You" (Valentine Demo)2022 — —Valentine (Demos)"Easy Thing"2023 — —"Tonight, Tonight"2024 — —I Saw the TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)"Dead End" 2026 25 — Ricochet"My Maker" — —"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Music videos TitleYearDirector"Heat Wave"2018Brandon Herman"Valentine"2021Josh Coll"Ben Franklin""Dead End"2026Elsie Richter and Lindsey Jordan"My Maker"
Notes
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2024 I Saw the TV Glow Tara Acting debut
Awards and nominations